With JKP, SOG in forefront; more CRPF troops inducted
*All out efforts to hunt down foreign terrorists
Sanjeev Pargal
JAMMU, Aug 12: More companies of the Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) are being inducted in mountainous areas in six districts of the Jammu region while Special Forces (para commandos) of the Army have now been made part of anti-terror operations as new strategy to hunt down the foreign terrorists from the upper reaches of Kathua, Udhampur, Kishtwar, Doda, Rajouri and Poonch districts.
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Jammu and Kashmir Police (JKP) and Special Operations Group (SOG), as usual, remained in the forefront while the Village Defence Guards (VDGs) have also been activated.
Officials told the Excelsior that the Special Forces of the Army have now become active part of anti-terror operations in the upper reaches as some of the foreign terrorists operating there appeared to be very well trained and equipped with sophisticated weapons like M4 Carbines.
“In some operations, direct contact has been established with Special Forces while few other operations have been led by these forces. In other operations, the Special Forces were inducted when search and cordon operations against the terrorists were on,” the officials said.
They said the Special Forces operating under the jurisdiction of Northern Command are now active part of anti-terror operations in the upper reaches where there has been presence of well-trained Pakistani terrorists in six districts of the Jammu region. A number of such terrorists have been eliminated in the operations jointly carried out by the security forces.
“As usual, the SOG and JKP remained in forefront in the anti-terror operations. A number of SOG pickets have come up in the upper reaches where they used to be when the militancy was at its peak in nineties and were gradually phased out after the region became militancy-free. The police personnel posted in the SOG have also been specially trained for taking on battle-hardened terrorists,” the officials said, adding a number of cops have been trained, inducted into SOG and posted in far-flung areas of the districts where there are reports about presence of the terrorists.
Additional troops of para-military Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) have also been deployed in the far off areas for carrying out joint operations against the terrorists along with Army, police and SOG, the officials said. The CRPF commandos are also being inducted in the mountainous areas for their involvement in anti-terror operations.
Officials said the security forces want to eliminate the terrorists before they could strike again though, as per the reports, they have been hiding in upper reaches but keep on shifting from one place to another to avoid getting detected. Some dedicated Over Ground Workers (OGWs) appeared to be assisting the terrorists in guiding them and arranging food and shelter for them.
Reports said that some natural caves in the mountains are being used by the terrorists as shelter places.
The terrorists are using only secured communication network to avoid getting intercepted by the security agencies.
In the past few months, security forces have established contacts with the terrorists a number of times especially in upper reaches of Basantgarh in Udhampur district and hills of Doda, Kishtwar and Kathua districts.
“Operations against the terrorists are now being carried out regularly,” the sources said.
A top commander was among the terrorists eliminated in Basantgarh and other places in the region.
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